REAL ESTATE firms need to reinvent
marketing strategies for their retirement villages, the Retirement and
Healthcare Coalition (RHC) yesterday said, noting the need to lure foreign
senior residents through short stays first before selling them a long-term
investment.

“Comparing the already existing
retirement projects in the Philippines with other retirement communities
worldwide, one difference can be seen in the marketing approach of the
projects,” RHC Executive Director Marc Daubenbuechel said in a statement.

“Here in the Philippines... they are
not using tourism marketing tools and the only option in nearly all their
projects is buying a property,” Mr. Daubenbuechel said further.

A “tourism-based approach,” would
require developers to improve amenities such as entertainment, leisure and
health facilities.

“Foreign retirees that leave their
home country do not want to live in an empty village. For them it is very
important to be embraced by the new community,” he noted.

Property firms should also allow
long-term leases.

“Giving them the option to have a
long-term lease gives them the feeling of owning a property but at the same
time retaining for them the option of moving back to their home country, if
necessary,” Mr. Daubenbuechel said.

Putting up hotels or condotels within
retirement villages will also likely improve attractiveness of developments.

This would allow foreigners to
“test-live” in the facility and assess their [level of comfort] in the
Philippines, Mr. Daubenbuechel said.

Developers were likewise urged to
“take special care” in obtaining professional design and planning services for
facilities and buildings.

It went to say that the government and
the private sector “still need to learn more about retirement villages and the
best practices worldwide.” -- Kim Arveen M. Patria